Mahama and NDC’s track record in infrastructure is unmatched – Agbodza

Minority Chief Whip, Kwame Agbodza has said that the track record of former President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in infrastructure is unmatched.

He says the NDC will do more if the party wins the elections this year.

“As we speak, there is a growing concern about the cost and value of infrastructure projects delivered under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.

“A classical example; the NDC reconstructed the Awoshie – Pokuase road which is about 15km of eight lanes and other link roads of over 15km, schools, water supply projects etc, at a cost of about $120 million,” he saidin a stateent.

He added “the failed Mota Engils Accra – Tema Motorway project was originally priced at $570 million as a PPP. Today, the PPP has collapsed, but the project is still projected to cost over $600 million based on figures coming from government. The Motorway itself is just about 19km, extending to 27km if other link roads are added, with some interchanges. The question is, why is government still awarding the project as though it is a PPP when the funding is directly coming from government?

“We ask this because we know President Mahama’s Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) has been totally collapsed and does not have the capacity to leverage on anything to sustainably fund the project.

“To conclude, fellow citizens, a vote for President Mahama is a vote for transformational infrastructure with enhanced value for money that will deliver efficient transportation, cutting-edge ICT connectivity platforms and improved social services delivery.”

Below is his full statement…

 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NDC’S POLICIES ON INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PRESENTED BY HON. KWAME AGBODZA AT THE SECOND EDITION OF THE PARTY’S PRESS BRIEFING ON ITS 2024 MANIFESTO

Introduction
Ghana’s economic growth and development aspirations hinge significantly on the development of a robust and modern infrastructure. The previous NDC government’s enduring legacy of infrastructure development in the areas of transportation, energy, water, housing, and telecommunications, continues to be felt in the daily lives of Ghanaians.

As a result of this enduring legacy, President Mahama bequeathed to President Akufo-Addo completed transformational projects that gave value and enhanced the wellbeing of Ghanaians. These include:

1. The MPS terminal at Tema Port
2. A brand-new Terminal 3 at the Kotoka International Airport
3. Several interchanges and roads
4. Schools
5. Hospitals
6. Water and electrification projects
and many more.

However, in January 2025, President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia will bequeath to President Mahama a collapsed economy laced with construction sites such as the $58 million most expensive pit in the world, smaller pits littered across the country in the form of failed one village, one dam, huge unpaid bills to contractors, extraordinarily unsustainable commitments on projects, debt and more debt.

Just to remind Ghanaians, the entire appropriation bill or government budget for 2016 was just about GHS50 billion. Today, the mess in the road sector alone is about GHS15 billion of unpaid certificates and over GHS100 billion commitments, a very reckless way of delivering infrastructure.

Ladies and gentlemen, by the end of 2016, the last year of the NDC, the Mahama administration carried out different activities on 10,732.49km of trunk roads, 16,138km of feeder roads and 9,384km of urban roads.
Contrast this with the last record of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government on road activities in 2023 in similar categories. They could only carry out works of 4,809km of trunk roads, 8,984km of feeder roads and 2,318km of urban roads.

Lest we forget, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government’s claim of 10,800km of so-called new roads has been totally discredited and abandoned. Now they only talk about works done on about 12,000km of roads. This figure is unsubstantiated.

The transformational infrastructure vision of President Mahama from 2025 will be anchored on a roll out of his $10 billion ‘BIG PUSH’ policy.

The 24-Hour Economy policy of the NDC will require efficient and effective infrastructure delivered at the best value for the tax-payers money.

In furtherance of these policies, we will:

1. Embark on a US$10 billion accelerated infrastructural plan to drive job creation and prioritise the completion of uncompleted and abandoned government infrastructural projects across all sectors.
2. Revamp the Ghana infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) to undertake strategic self-financing projects for jobs and national transformation.
3. Construct, rehabilitate and expand water supply systems to guarantee sustainable and equitable access to clean and safe water for all communities, including:
a. Ho and surrounding catchment areas, the Sogakope Trans-Boundary system and the Kpeve and Hohoe systems
b. Tamale and surrounding catchment areas
c. Yendi, Sang and surrounding catchment areas
d. Savlugu, Pong-Tamale, Diare and surrounding areas
4. Sustainably address the perennial Bagre Dam spillage disaster.
5. Develop the Nasia, Nabogu and Pwalugu multi-purpose dams to support all-year-round agriculture
6. Revamp the Western Corridor rail line in partnership with the private sector to transport bulk cargo and passengers by rail to the major towns along the Western Corridor and the port for shipment.
7. Reconstruct and upgrade the Eastern Corridor rail line to the nodal town of Kumasi and extend the two corridors to the north for freight and passenger services with the active participation of the private sector.
8. Provide inner-city light rail sub-urban services as an integral part of Kumasi and Takoradi’s western and eastern corridor lines.
9. Roll out an urban inner-city light rail system in Accra
10. Develop a railway line from Sekondi-Takoradi in the Western region through Western North, Ashanti, Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, Savannah to Hamile in the Upper West Region.
11. The following major road corridors, Trunk roads, Feeder roads and Urban roads will be developed, improved or completed:
a. The three-carriage Golden Triangle; Accra/Tema – Takoradi – Techiman (A-3T) highway
b. Outer ring roads (Golden Orbital Motorways) in the following major cities to ease traffic flow:
i. Accra Orbital Motorway
ii. Tsopoli – Doryumu – Medie – Budumburam
iii. Kumasi Orbital Motorway
iv. Takoradi Orbital Motorway
v. Tamale Orbital Motorway
vi. Sunyani Orbital Motorway
vii. Techiman Orbital Motorway
c. Eastern Corridor: Tema – Asikuma – Hohoe – Damanko – Bimbilla – Yendi – Nakpanduri – Kulungugu
d. Western Corridor: Elubo – Enchi – Sunyani – Wa – Hamile
e. Upper Corridor:
i. Pulmakom – Bawku – Bolga – Tumu – Wa
ii. Tamale – Yendi
iii. Tamale – Daboya – Busunu – Sawla – Chache
iv. Sakoo – Nakpanduri – Bunkpurugu
v. Yendi – Saboba – Waapuli – Chereponi
vi. Nkwanta – Kpassa
f. Re-design and construct the following inter-Regional Roads (IRR):
i. Aburi- Nsawam – Adeiso – Bawjiase – Agona Swedru – Mankessim
ii. Bunkpuru – Nakpanduri – Walewale – Wiasi – Wa
iii. Berekum – Sampa – Banda Ahenkro – New Longoro – Kintampo – Prang
iv. Agogo – Dukusen – Anyinofi – Seneso – Atebubu
v. Busunu – Daboya – Yagaba – Fumbisi – Sandema – Chuchuliga.
vi. Keta – Denu – Ho- Have – Kpando – Worawora – Dambai
vii. Sefwi Wiawso – Yametwa – Nkrankwanta – Dormaa Ahenkro
viii. Charibouri – Bunbunu
ix. Kumasi – Anwiankwanta – Cape Coast.
x. Asikuma – Anum – Dzemeni
xi. Abakrampa – Asomdwe road

Conclusion
Fellow countrymen and women, President Mahama and the NDC’s track record of infrastructure is unmatched. As we speak, there is a growing concern about the cost and value of infrastructure projects delivered under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.

A classical example; the NDC reconstructed the Awoshie – Pokuase road which is about 15km of eight lanes and other link roads of over 15km, schools, water supply projects etc, at a cost of about $120 million.

Ladies and gentlemen, the failed Mota Engils Accra – Tema Motorway project was originally priced at $570 million as a PPP. Today, the PPP has collapsed, but the project is still projected to cost over $600 million based on figures coming from government. The Motorway itself is just about 19km, extending to 27km if other link roads are added, with some interchanges. The question is, why is government still awarding the project as though it is a PPP when the funding is directly coming from government?

We ask this because we know President Mahama’s Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) has been totally collapsed and does not have the capacity to leverage on anything to sustainably fund the project.

To conclude, fellow citizens, a vote for President Mahama is a vote for transformational infrastructure with enhanced value for money that will deliver efficient transportation, cutting-edge ICT connectivity platforms and improved social services delivery.

SIGNED.
Hon. Kwame Agbodza
MP for Adaklu and Minority Chief Whip

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